Met Council chairwoman supports proposed transit sales tax hike during State of Region

Metropolitan Council Chair Sue Haigh reiterated her support for Gov. Mark Dayton's proposed transit tax on Monday, Feb. 11 during her "State of the Region" address at the St. Paul Union Depot on Kellogg Boulevard.

Appearing before hundreds of onlookers, Haigh said that the recently-renovated train depot, first completed in 1923, represented the kind of long-term commitment to transportation infrastructure that the region is once again contemplating.

"The generation that invested in this building did us a great favor in constructing this kind of lasting investment," she said.

Dayton has said he will push for a .25 percent sales tax, equivalent to a nickel on every $20 purchase, within the seven county metro. If approved by the state Legislature, the funds could help launch up to 15 passenger rail and Bus Rapid Transit lines within the next 20 years.